Luncheon: Farm to Table VII

This year’s Farm-to-Table program features the chef for Bloomingdale’s Forty Carrots and its new fine-dining restaurant, the president of the largest roaster of Kona Coffee in the islands, and the owner of a local farm that produces organically-grown portabella mushrooms. Topics include the future of locally-grown products prepared for consumption by residents and visitors, the use of locally-sourced products in Hawaii’s restaurants, and the impact of locally-grown products on Hawaii’s economy. The new food and dining editor for HONOLULU Magazine, Catherine Toth Fox, will be the panel moderator.

Chef Jon Matsubara is culinary director/Executive Chef for all food and beverage at Bloomingdale’s Ala Moana. He was Chef de Cuisine for Japengo at Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Azure at Royal Hawaiian, Canoe House Restaurant at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, as well as Stage in the Honolulu Design Center. He is a graduate of The French Culinary Institute in New York City.

Dan Dinell is President of Hawaii Coffee Company, the largest roaster of Kona Coffee in the world and Hawaii’s leading supplier of coffee to hotels, restaurants, and retail stores. Hawaii Coffee Company’s brands include LION Coffee, Royal Kona Coffee, Royal Hawaiian Coffee, and Hawaiian Islands Tea.

Fung Yang owns Small Kine Farms in Waimanalo, which produces locally-grown portabella mushrooms, fertilized with organic waste obtained through his company Oahu Community Recycling. Mr. Yang sells his mushrooms to gourmet restaurants, including Roy’s, Town Restaurant, Alan Wong’s, BLT Steak, and JJ Dolan’s. They can also be found at Down to Earth, Whole Foods, and Hawaii’s Farmers Markets.

Moderator Catherine Toth Fox is HONOLULU Magazine’s food and dining editor. She has worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawaii for more than 10 years and freelanced -- in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight -- for national and local print and online publications since 1997. She has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish for nearly a decade.